Sample extracting tool



July 18, 1950 H. T. PARSONS ET A1.-

SAMPLE EXTRACTING Toor.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 27, 1946 I 11 z'e/ltorS llllll.

fr-ace 7.2704217022 f Il ||||llu |H I July 18, '1950 H. T; PARSONS ET Al. 2,515,567

SAMPLE EXTRACTING TooL Filed sept. 27, 194e 2 sheets-sheet 2 7M E @li /l// Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED ,STATES PATENT orrlcr.g

SAMPLE EXTRACTING TOOL Horace T. Parsons, Corpus Christi, and Sydney P. Martin, McAllen, Tex.

Application September 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,742

` (Cl. Z55-1.4)

4 Claims. 1 Our invention relates to improvements in sample extracting tools for use especially, Aalthough not necessarily, in obtaining samples of :fluid matter at the botto-m of drilled holes.

The primary object of our invention is to pron vide a simply constructed, eiiicient tool for dropping into drilled holes and which is rendered operative by impact with the bottom `oi the hole to drive into said bottom, form .a sealed 01T pocket therein, extract a sample of the fluid contents of the pocket for analysis after the tool `is retrieved, and at the same time, determine gas pressure at the bottom of the hole.

- Other and subordinate obiects, also compre hended by our invention, together with the precise nature of our improvements, and the advantages thereof, will be readily .understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings;

Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal ysection .of our improved tool in a preferred embodiment thereof.

Figure 2 isa fragmentary view in ,longitudinal lsection drawn to a larger scale.

Figure 3 is a disassembled view in perspective of the plunger and parts carried thereby.

r,Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the firing head.

Figure 5 is a View in bottom end elevation of the tool.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section illustrating the valve for the gas discharge line.

Figure' is a view in transverse section taken on the line ,'l--'l of Figure 2, and

. ,Figure 8 is asimilar view taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 2.

. Referring to the drawings by numerals, according to the preferred, illustrated ,embodiment of our invention, an elongated tool is provided comprising an outer, tubular, me-tal Acasing 2 pro"l vided with an upper end head section 3 threaded in said upper end, as at 4, to .close the same. The

ange 8 and a gland nut 9 threaded into the lower end thereof, as at iii, said ilange 8 and n-ut 9 conning .between the same a series of packing rings H in said sleeve.

An endwise slidable plunger l2, shorter than the casing I and of relatively smaller diameter., is provided in vsaid casing and sleeve 6 with a working t `in the rlange 8, nut 9 and rings Il, The plunger l2 is slidable outwardly and inwardly of the casing l' and packing sleeve B and is provided with a circumferential lower end nan-ge i3 adapted to engage the gland nut 9 to limit inward movement of the plunger. Ascrew iii i-n 4one side of the plunger I2 is adapted to engage the flange 8 and limit outward movement of said plunger. ln each limit of move ment oi said plunger I2, the same extends into the casing l beyond the packing sleeve 6 for a purpose presently seen.

An axial chamber I4, with an internal shoulder l5 therein, is formed in the upper end of the plunger` I2, and which is adapted to be packed with an explosive charge, not shown, and closed by a removable bushing It seating on the shoulder YI5 and having suitably iixed therein a detonator Il the cap I8 of which is exposed at the upper end of said plunger.

`A hollovs7 cylindrical firing head I9, having a closed upper end, is slidably itted over the upper end portion of the plunger I2, and which has suitably xed in the closed end thereof an axial firing pin 25J designed to puncture the cap I8 to cause the detonator l1 to ignite the explosive charge, not shown, in the chamber lll. Diametricall-y opposite shear .pins 2l in the lower end of the i'lring head I9 iix the same on theplunger l2 with the firing pin 2i) spaced .slightly above the cap I8.

A helical expansion spring 22 in the casing I., interposed between the closed end of the ring head I9 and a xed disc 23 in the casing l, urges said head and `plunger i2 into said outward limit of movement. The disc 23 is apertured, as .at 24, to permit passage of fluid therethrough for a purpose presently apparent.

A longitudinally uted spudding bar 25 extends out of the lower end oi the 4plunger l2, in the axis thereof, with `an. upper end threaded, as at 26., into an axial socket 2l in said end of said plunger. The spudding bar 215 is lformed with a cruciform lower end cutting edge 28, and with an axial duct 29 therein adapted to discharge at its upper end into the socket 2l and having lateral linlet branches 30 adjacent its lower end.

A resilient gasket 3l with a concave bottom '32 surrounds the spudding bar 25 and is suitably iixed thereon with a `metal washer 34 interposed between the same and the flange I3 of the plunger I 2 and backed by said flange.

Reverting now to the plunger I2, a pressure relief duct 35 in said plunger extends from the chamber I4 to a pressure outlet relief Valve 36 arranged to discharge radially out of the flange I3. A duct 3'! in the plunger I2 extends from the socket 2l' to one side of said plunger to open at one end upon said side of the plunger.

A gas pressure line 38 is threaded, as at 39, at one end through one side of the casing I above disc 23 and into a valve seat 40 in said casing, said pressure line 38 having a pressure gauge 4I on the other end thereof. An adjustable needle valve 42 is threaded through the other side of the casing I for engagement with the seat 39 to close o said line if desired.

Describing now the operation of our improved tool. The plunger I2 is normally extended out of the lower end of the casing into its outward limit of movement by the spring 22. In this outward limit of movement of said plunger I2, the open end of the duct 3l is closed by being located within the confines of the series of packing rings II. The tool, with the parts thus positioned, is dropped into a drilled hole, not shown, the bottom of which is represented at 42 in Figure 2 in dotted lines. As soon as the spudding bar 25 strikes said bottom 42, the casing I under the impact of the blow, descends on the plunger I2 into its described outward limit of movement, as shown in Figure 2, and thereby compresses the spring 22. The compressed spring 22 then exerts suiiicient pressure on the ring head I9 to cause the shear pins 2I to separate, thus permitting said head I9 to descend on the plunger I2 suiiiciently to cause the ring pin 2!) to puncture the cap I8, thus causing the detonator I'I to explode the charge, not shown, in the chamber I4. At this point, the explosion drives the plunger I2 downwardly, thus forcing the spudding bar 25 into the bottom 42 until the gasket 3| is compressed on said bottom and forms a seal around a pocket 43 formed in the bottom 42 by said bar. Fluid matter, not shown, in the pocket 43 passes upwardly through the spudding bar 25 by way of the duct 29 and into the casing I by way of the open end of the duct 3'1 which is now located about the flange 8 of the packing sleeve 6, as shown in Figure 2. Thus, a sample of uid matter from the bottom of the hole is obtained which is sealed in the casing I. This sealed condition of the sample is maintained when the tool I is lifted out of the hole by return of the plunger I2 into its normal outward limit of movement, as shown in Figure 1, and in which limit the open end of the duct 31 is again closed in the manner already described. The pressure of gas in the bottom of the hole is registered on the pressure gauge 4I. The tool may be shipped with the sealed sample therein, for analysis after removing the head section 3. After the explosion takes place, the chamber I4 is evacuated of burnt gas and the like through the duct 35 and valve 36.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suice to impart a clear understanding of our invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modiiication, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a tool adapted to be dropped endwise into a drilled hole, a tubular casing, a plunger in said casing having a lower end extending out of the same and being endwise slidable inwardly and outwardly of the casing, means forming a seal between said plunger and casing, a spudding bar extending from the lower end of said plunger and adapted to engage the bottom of the hole to cause said plunger to move inwardly of said casing, means in said plunger and casing rendered effective by impact of said bar against the bottom of the hole to drive said bar into the bottom of the hole including an explosive charge in the plunger and spring-tensioned devices for opposing the force of the explosion in one direction, and means to pass fluid material through said bar and plunger into said casing.

2. In a tool adapted to be dropped endwise into a drilled hole, a tubular casing having a removable upper end closure section, a plunger in said casing having a lower end extending out of the same and being endwise slidable inwardly and outwardly of the casing, means forming a, seal between said plunger and casing, a spudding bar extending from the lower end of said plunger and adapted to engage the bottom of the hole to cause said plunger to move inwardly of said casing, a spring in said casing opposing inward movement of said plunger and adapted to be compressed by such inward movement of said plunger, means in said plunger and casing rendered effective conjointly by impact of said bar against the bottom of the hole and compression of said spring to drive said bar into the bottom of the hole, andmeans to pass fluid material through said bar and plunger into Said casing, the second mentioned means comprising an explosive charge containing chamber in said plunger, and means for exp1od` ing said charge including a, firing head on the plunger slidable thereon under the influence of said spring and inuenced by said spring to oppose impact of the explosion.

3. In a tool adapted to be dropped endwise into a drilled hole, a tubular casing having a removable upper end closure section, a, plunger in said casing having a lower end extending out of the same and being endwise slidable inwardly and outwardly of the casing, means forming a seal between said plunger and casing, a, spudding bar extending from the lower. end of said plunger and adapted to engage the bottom of the hole to cause said plunger to move inwardly of said casing, a spring in said casing opposing inward movement of said plunger and adapted tobe compressed by such inward movement of said plunger, means in said plunger and casing rendered effective conjointly by impact of said bar against the bottom of the hole and compression of said spring to drive said bar into the bottom of the hole, and means to pass fluid material through said bar and plunger into said casing, the second mentioned means including an explosive containing chamber in said plunger, a detonator for igniting the explosive and having a cap, and a firing head on the plunger slidable therein under the innuence of said spring into engagement with said cap and iniluenced by said spring to oppose impact of the explosion.

4. In a tool adapted to be dropped endwise into adrllled hole, a, tubular casing having a re,- movable upper end closure section, a plunger in said casing having a lower end extending out of the same and being endwise slidable inwardly and outwardly of the casing, means forming va seal between said plunger and casing. a spudding bar 5 extending from the lower end of said plunger and adapted to engage the bottom of the hole to cause said plunger to move inwardly of said casing, a spring in said casing opposing inward movement of said plunger and adapted to be compressed by such inward movement of said plunger, means in said plunger and casing rendered eiective conjointly by impact of said bar against the bottom of the hole and compression of said spring to drive said bar into the bottom of the 1 hole, and means to pass uid material through said bar and plunger into said casing, the second mentioned means including an explosive containing chamber in said plunger, a detonator for igniting the explosive and having a cap, a iiring head on said plunger adapted to be slid thereon under the influence of said spring into engagement with said cap and influenced by said spring to oppose impact of the explosion, and shearable pins connecting said firing head to said plunger.

HORACE T. PARSONS. SYDNEY P. MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,227,198 Piggot Dec. 31, 1940 1;, 2,316,216 Bandy Apr. 13, 1943 2,334,428 Miller Nov. 16, 1943 

